Why I traveled 5070 miles to go to TBU

Yes, it’s true. I traveled 5070 miles from Las Vegas to Manchester, UK for a weekend-long travel blogging conference. And it was awesome. At first, it was timing and friends that got me to do it, and it never occurred to me that I’d make such a trip again. But now, I’m already thinking of the next ones, TBU in Innsbruck and TBEX in Prague. In an ideal world, I’d get to turn each trip into a much longer vacation, but fitting weekend getaways into a busy life of working full-time sometimes means you make big trips for a shorter adventure.

There are worse things!

My reasons for attending TBU:

Getting my dream job after 18 months of unemployment/freedom (depending on the day), I had to accept a corporate policy of no time off for six months. You know what that does to people like me. That ended mere days before TBU. The timing alone made it too easy. I was more than ready to get out the ol’ passport.

The conference’s founder, Ollie, promised to pick me up at the airport. Fellow city slickers, you know what a treat this is.

Theresa Gotay, TBU founder Oliver Gradwell, Cailin O’Neil

Ever since TBEX last year in New York turned out to be monumentally life-changing for me, I have a weakness for travel blogging conferences.

Hello, like-minded people… Look, there are only so many ways an adult female in her mid-30s can meet new friends. I’d encourage anyone to go to conferences of people with the same interests as you.

I can’t go to TBEX Vancouver this year, something I say with a very heavy heart, because my best friend is getting married that weekend in Maui. Twenty three years after a brave sixth grader let me, the new girl, sit next to her on the bus, I wouldn’t miss that wedding for the world. But that doesn’t mean I have to miss out on the travel blogging circuit entirely… What’s a few thousand miles?

Like at TBEX, I walked away a new member of a “club.” Then, it was TBEXA, the A team. At TBU, the talk is of Club 91. Guess you had to be there…

Chris Richardson and Nellie Huang

I forgot how much fun it is to cover lectures like a press conferences, tweeting the highlights and gossiping with bloggers sitting 10 feet away from you. I’m looking at you, @travelingeditor, @theaussienomad and @bgb_news.

My neighbors at Light @budgettraveler, @velvetescape, @travelwithamate @traveldudes, @axpet and @isabellestravel were the hosts of every after-party and my escorts when I didn’t know where I was going. Which was all the time.

I finally got a thorough education in SEO usage.

Travel bloggers keep me on my toes. By the time I landed in the U.S., my inbox was already flooded with everyone’s posts on TBU, my Facebook filled with tagged photos from the event. Since I went straight to a packed few days of work in NYC, my motto is… Better late than never. Enjoy!

Good, insightful post Abby! I wish I could go to one of these but as you know, I go where the big ship goes, lol. And Manchester would have been a treat. How many travel bloggers could I had dragged to Old Trafford for a United match with me?
Speaking of, did you pick up some United gear for yourself? At least a supporter’s scarf I hope. 🙂

These conferences really seem like a great way to network though and with more planning in the future, I’ll be sure to meet such fabulous people at one.

But the 20% of me that met the 20% of you on Sunday was absolutely delighted to. And even as sleep-hungover as I was that day and as incapable I was of stringing two syllables together into a meaningful grunt…it’s obviously you’re enormous fun.

@Che So happy you told me you’d left a comment — it was in my spam for some reason. My favorite lessons were really just hearing again how important it is to have a theme, so you can market yourself. And of course, the importance of SEO words. I tend to forget about that and just write what I want! All of the lectures are online, too, on the TBU website. You should take a look!

I loved reading your write-up! I had a great time in Manchester when I was there in August — it’s such a cool city that had an amazing revitalization. But I would have had an even better time there had I been there for TBU!

I’m really looking forward to TBEX Vancouver — sorry I won’t get to meet you there. Your post has me thinking about Innsbruck and Prague now. I’ve always wanted to travel to those places and to be able to meet fellow travel bloggers while there — perfect! Love seeing your pics of some of my favorite people.

After tweeting with some of the fabulous bloggers of TBU, I’m really sad I didn’t get to participate. I’m already trying to see how I can get myself to Innsbruck on low funds. It seems like TBU was a success because everyone got to talk to one another and hang out. At TBEX, it was a bit of a whirlwind. Maybe you’ll just have to host your own little conference in Vegas. Just saying! Any excuse to see you again, dear!

Ah to be young again! I couldn’t jet across the ocean from the east coast for a weekend, let alone from almost the west. Everyone loved TBEX so much we decided to go, but life got in the way. In the process of selling our tickets. Maybe next time.

This post makes me so happy i’m going to TBEX in Vancouver… obviously really sad that we won’t meet up- but I can’t wait to have a similiar experience. I love this community and can’t wait to meet more friends in real life!

@Natalie There actually IS a big conference coming up in Vegas — I need to figure out if it’s been announced yet. I can’t WAIT to see you again in person!

@Billie — yes, I also can’t go to TBEX, which I why I went to TBU. And now I can’t go to the next TBU… I figure when the scheduling works out for one of these things, it was meant to be! I actually arrived on Thursday morning — and basically slept until Friday evening. I’m not so young anymore myself!

Sounds like it was totally worth it! Travel bloggers tend to be a different breed from the people we might normally be surrounded by in our “everyday lives”, so it is a terrific thing to spend time live and in person with other travel bloggers to remind you that you’re not crazy. There are other people out there who feel the same way about travel.

@Michael I’m so bummed to miss Vancouver, and now it looks like I can’t make Innsbruck either. 🙁

@Fraser Awesome time. We definitely need a reunion soon! Funny how all of us travelers work — it’s hard to get a bunch of moving parts together, yet it is so easy for any of us to jump on a plane. It will happen!

@Gray YES YES YES It is so wonderful to be around all of us and meet other people with that sense of adventure and need to budget in strange ways to pay for that next trip. It’s so hard to explain that to anyone else!

Awwww. I SO wish I could have been there. And now, after reading this, I wish it even more. You met some amazing people!!! So glad you enjoyed. Why are there no travel blogging conferences in Vegas? I think we should start one. That way, we get all these awesome people on OUR turf!! xx

Call me what you will, I love any social event such as the Catalina Wine Mixer where people call each other by their twitter handles. I’ve heard of people traveling 5070 miles to get to Vegas but I guess when you’re in Vegas, you have to get creative. Looks like you had a great time.

I’m so happy for you that you got to attend TBU and meet such cool people! I sadly have not been to a travel blog conference yet & can’t attend TBEX this year either. Here’s to hoping I’ll make it to one at some point!

Great write up and sounds like it was worth traveling 5070 miles for the weekend. It was so nice to meet you (and thanks for the mention). Hope to see you again in Prague. I’m not able to make Innsbruck as I’ll be on my honeymoon in Canada.

Oh wow, that’s so freaking awesome! I’m always hearing of bloggers attending blogger conferences in near-by cities and such, but never across the pond! But GOOD FOR YOU. Like you said, it’s a great thing to do just before you start your job.

RUFFLES. Yes yes yes! I love shopping and just fashion in general in the UK. I can’t wait to go back there this summer 🙂